idle
n.n. not working, not being used, or having no purpose. You use this to describe people who are lazy or machines that are turned on but not doing anything.
n. lacking a sense of purpose or utility; not engaged in any specific activity or work. Often describes machinery running without a load or individuals avoiding labor.
The factory machines sat idle during the long holiday weekend.
He spent his idle hours wandering through the park and watching the birds instead of looking for a job.
The board of directors expressed concern over the company's idle capital, arguing that the funds should be reinvested into research and development rather than sitting in low-interest accounts.
From Middle English idel, ydel, from Old English īdel, from Proto-West Germanic īdal, from Proto-Germanic īdalaz. Cognate with Dutch ijdel (“vain, meaningless”), ijl (“rareified, skinny”), iel (“thin, slender”); German Low German iedel (“vain, idle”); German eitel (“vain, conceited”); and possibly Old Norse illr ("bad"; > English ill).
From Middle English idelen, from Old English īdlian, from Proto-West Germanic *īdalēn. Cognate with German eiteln (“to make empty, free up”).
From Middle English idel, ydel, from Old English īdel (“idleness”), from the adjective (see above).
Typically precedes the noun it modifies or follows a linking verb like 'sit', 'stand', or 'remain'.